It wasn't long ago when a young Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill were terrorizing opposing defenses week in and week out. It was a match made in heaven with Mahomes physical gifts and Hill's Olympic track speed that made the two an incredible quarterback-wide receiver tandem.
However, following the 2021 season, the Kansas City Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, riding Mahomes of an elite talent on the outside that the team has still been searching for since. In Super Bowl LIX, Travis Kelce's days as an All-World tight end were long gone, leaving his quarterback with no answers to beat the vaunted Philadelphia Eagles defense in the Chiefs 40-22 defeat.
One thing became perfectly clear after this game: Mahomes needs a top-flight playmaker on the perimeter.
There will be some pushback to that opinion. The Chiefs drafted wide receiver Rashee Rice in the second round two seasons ago and became an instant impact player. However, he missed most of this past season with a knee injury but should return as a key part of the offense as long as his off-field issues are resolved and he remains healthy.
Kansas City also drafted Xavier Worthy as their speed demon and future star playmaker. He had an incredible game in the Super Bowl albeit down multiple scores in an already lost game. However, it may not be enough even if the team chooses to bring back Marquise Brown next month.
With Kelce's future uncertain ahead of free agency, general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid must consider acquiring a talented and potential No. 1 receiver this offseason. No, don't expect them to make a drastic trade up in the first round this year for Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan and even if they do draft a WR early, a playmaker-by-committee approach just doesn't seem feasible right now.
There have been numerous wide receivers who have been in the trade rumor mill for months. Seattle Seahawks' D.K. Metcalf, San Fransisco 49ers' Deebo Samuel, Cincinnati Bengals' Tee Higgins, New York Jets' Garrett Wilson, and Pittsburgh Steelers' George Pickens have all been a part of trade rumors one way or another. Any one of those players would provide a significant boost for the Chiefs offense.
The best hands of that group belong to Tee Higgins, whose length and size allow him to have an outstanding catch radius and come away with tough catches in any situation. Wilson is a top wide receiver stuck on a mediocre franchise that doesn't know which direction it's going and being a true No. 1 playmaker with a top quarterback could see him put up career numbers. Pickens is the one with the most potential if he can keep himself under control and focus on the task at hand.
There's also a chance that there could be a reunion between the Chiefs and Hill if the Dolphins decide to move him, assuming Hill can remain healthy and remain the same uber-explosive player he has been for the last seven-plus years.
Either way, finding another high-end playmaker would ease the potential loss of someone like Kelce, who has been Mahomes trusty security blanket since he became the starting QB. A room of Wilson, Worthy, Rice, and Brown would give Mahomes a group of playmakers he could trust with the ball in their hands, especially in space.
How the Chiefs approach the offseason at wide receiver will be key. If they go into the summer with Worthy and Rice as their top two playmakers, it's risky but it shows their trust in the group as a whole, with or without Kelce.
Regardless, Mahomes needs a trustworthy No. 1 guy and Kansas City should do as much as they can to acquire the missing piece from their Super Bowl defeat.
